OUGENWEIDE

1. "Nieman Kan Mit Gerten" (2:26) some engineering issues with track levels diminish this nice song a bit. (8.6667/10)

2. "Es Stunt Ein Frouwe Alleine" (4:50) uptempo and aggressive with great guitar play from Wolfgang Henko. The sound engineering on this one is a little better than the opener but still an issue. Nice palette of harmonic distribution. (8.75/10)

3. "Ouwe" (2:29) gently picked acoustic guitar, glockenspiel, percussives, and recorders accompany and mirror the melody carried by the vocal choir. Harmonium joins in during the final verse. (8.6667/10)

4. "Der Fuchs" (5:25) proceeds like a chorus' stage song filling in details with their choral narration. I have to admit that the performers are all really skilled and very tight with their presentation. (8.5/10)

5. "Eilenau" (1:28) a reel-like instrumental that sounds like the soundtrack to a chase or a race. (4.25/5)

6. "Ougenweide" (6:08) I like the male and female vocalists taking turns on this rollicking song--as if they're having a courtship conversation. Percussion and recorders are the showpieces here, bass and guitars driving the cart forward from beneath. (8.75/10)

7. "Swa Gouter Hande Wurzen Sint" (3:19) another astonishingly complex arrangement that the band (and vocalists) deliver perfectly! Great breathy IAN ANDERSON-like flute soloing. (9/10)

8. "Der Sohn Der Näherin" (3:10) like "Ouwe" this one starts out with simple instrumental palette as Olaf introduces the topic and melody. Hand percussives and wind instruments join in to add a little more fill to the soundscape as Olaf continues the storytelling. Unfortunately, it never really gets out of "children rock" school mode, remaining quite simplistic. (8.6667/10)

9. "Sarod" (2:45) as the title indicates, somebody's idea to incorporate Indian instruments into the album. It's okay for a first time. (8/10)

10. "Statement Zur Lage Der Ganzen Musica" (1:05) more sitar within an almost-Celtic dittie. (4.333/5)

11. "Es Fur Ein Pawr Gen Holcz" (1:36) Pagan Punk Krautrock? (4.125/5)

Total time 34:41

A smorgasbord of German and English-style folk songs rendered sonically inferior by poor engineering still I am impressed--I have high hopes for this band's future due to the high skill level of the musicians, their stunning ability to pull off very tightly delivered compositions that often display surprisingly complex and nuanced layers. I greatly look forward to the next albums.

86.01 on the Fishscales = B-/3.5 stars; an excellent entry-level display of tightly performed Prog Folk.

Stylistically OUGENWEIDE continued its unique blend of Medieval folk, contemporary folk, German traditionals and modern rock with an energetic update for modern audiences who were quite enamored with the band's unique interpretations mined from over eight centuries of music history. One of the highlights includes the oldest song on the album, the three part "Merseburger" which originated all the way back in the 10th century and included lyrics from a book of Merseburg magical spells. This particular track features some exquisite three-part singing that features off-kilter canons and perhaps one of the most intriguing tracks on board.

As with the debut, all lyrics are in German but older forms of the language in many cases. The music is noticeable less energetic than on the debut with many more tracks coming off as mellow or more contemplative and while Graw's vocals totally fit the style of music performed here are less daring as the duo feminine charm of the debut however ALL DIE ICH MAG certainly showed that OUGENWEIDE was no one-trick pony with plenty of creative mojo to change things up on every album despite mining similar musical ideas from the past and reinterpreting them into a modern contemporary folk rock context. Once again Achim Reichel returned as the producer.

In addition to the Medieval texts and 10th century magical spells, ALL DIE WEIL ICH MAG also revived old German writings and quotes from Goethe thus expanding the band's historical perspective way beyond the confines of the Middle Ages. The band continued its popularity and toured with such acts of Amazing Blondel and Fairport Convention and engaged in a hectic tour where they gave a great deal of performances. Due to this album the band was often called a Minne-rock band, however despite Minne Graw taking on the female vocals, the album is by far dominated by the male vocals of Olaf Casalich.

ALL DIE WEIL ICH MAG may not have been as energetic and in your face as the debut but featured a more mature version of the band that expanded beyond the Medieval influences into anything from the past it could get its hands on. The tracks are just as catchy and a veritable history lesson for Germany's rich musical past that very few of us have ever considered. While i prefer the debut for its wild and unpredictable nature, this sophomore release excels in its own right as a masterful contemporary expression of music crafted long ago. OUGENWEIDE would remain popular in Germany throughout the 1970s and succumb to the changing tides of the music industry in the early 80s when such music fell out of fashion.

Formed in 1970 and more accurately named after a Medieval song from the German minnesinger Neidhart von Reunental, this band incorporated a healthy dose of what was going on in England with bands such as Fairport Convention, The Pentangle and even Jethro Tull but infused a bit of medieval German folklore into the mix with the result of crafting some of the most instantly addictive folk music delivered with a touch of rock gusto. While the band would stick around for 15 years and produce several albums, this eponymous debut is perhaps the most authentically Medieval in its approach and included a whopping seven members that played a staggering number of instruments including the standard fair of guitar, bass and drums along with congas, maracas, timpani, harmonium, recorders, Indian flute, Arab flute, mandolin, bouzouki, sitar, glockenspiel, xylophone and more!

The album was produced by A.R & Machines tripper Achim Reichel who also contributed fuzzy bass, flue and timpani. This short album of only 33 plus minutes is quite electrifying as it runs the gamut of authentic Medieval sounding classical music as heard on the beginning "Nieman Kan Mit Gerten" to the rock powerhouse closer "Es Fur Ein Pawr Gen Holz." The sacred masculine and divine feminine are on equal footing on this one with not only vocal tradeoffs but with a keen sense of sensuality mixed with more energetic lively performances. The band was notorious for crafting music around old poems and songs and although primarily interested in the world of Medieval music, didn't limit the sounds to pure retro folk as say Gryphon did on its first release. OUGENWEIDE deftly mixed the old with the new and at its most energetic oft sounded like the German version of Comus only with a healthy dose of Ian Anderson inspired flute runs.

The band stood out like a sore thumb but offered a much more pleasant experience and immediately catapulted itself into the limelight of German society with a reflective experience that the nation had rarely if ever revisited in a modern context. While the band's success would really take off on subsequent albums, it was on this debut that the basic blueprints for the band's entire career had already been set in stone. Imagine if you will the primeval direct energy of Comus' "First Utterance" cross-pollinating with Fairport Convention's unconventional folk diversity of "Unhalfbricking" and you're on the right track however OUGENWEIDE kept true to its Germanic origins and crafted a truly German sounding album that mined the folk music of the past and placed it in the similar context that the aforementioned bands had successful achieved with English folk.

This is a beautifully crafted album with all the musicians as sharp as a chef's knife with an ever exhilarating assortment of tones and timbres erupting from the multitude of instruments that decorate the sonicscape so artfully. Each track stands on its own and the melodies are so angelically beautiful that it's impossible not to fall in love with this on just a single listen. The modern crossover pop hooks are in full effect but the progressive aspects are always present in the subtle juxtaposition of the arrangements. OUGENWEIDE hasn't been a band that has gotten as much attention as its English counterparts but was clearly in the same league as the best of what England had to offer. Perhaps the language barrier has lingered due to the fact folk music fans focus more on the lyrics but even if you can't understand a single word, the music itself conveys a time and place that is timeless in nature.

When I think of folkmusic, I mostly think of England and to lesser extend Canada. But Germany has a lot of folkrockbands, especially in the seventies.

One of them (Hoelderlin) I already discovered. But Ougenweide is very nice aswell.

The lyrics are in german wich adds to the folky listening experience. The concept is a well known (at least for europeans) subject: Till Eulenspiegel (in dutch: Tijl Uilenspiegel). The music is medieval with some modern influences (like the folky side of Jethro Tull and Gentle Giant).

I can almost compare this band with the dutch Fungus. All in all, this is a very good progressive folkrock album, and I can recommend this album to anyone who loves the softer and sweeter side of seventies rock.

You are more likely to love this album if you like Gryphon or Spirogyra. For the two tracks mentioned above, you will find a mixture of two bands with nicely sounded German lyrics. There is a highly presence of soft flute through the album which adds some symphonic salt to the main dish.

Last but not least, vocals are simply great (both male and female) along with very clean bass lines and occasional guitar performances, especially in Wol mich der Stunde.

I would recommend this album if you like folk but also seek for basic progressive elements and compositions.

''Ohrenschmaus'' sets the new standards of the band, which were now a blend of Folk Pop and an elaborate soft Prog Rock, containing some impressive instrumental work for such a smooth style chosen.Flutes, pipes, percussion, acoustic guitar and mandolines still dominate Ougenweide's music, but the electric guitars and omnipresent piano along with the constant use of bass pushes the band a tad closer to the basic principles of Prog Rock.And while the short tracks are basically acoustic explorations on Medieval Music with heavy vocal content and a clear insistence on delivering a raw side of archaic soundscapes, the longer ones showcase Ougenweide's highly artistic nature with regular bass and drum entries and some qualitive interplays on piano, flute, acoustic and electric guitars.You can even hear some pre-Classical textures, JETHRO TULL-esque vibes through the theatrical vocals and rhythmic lines, based on flutes, piano and strings, and HOELDRELIN-like elaborate arrangements with a light symphonic nature thrown in a heavy Folk content.The flipside appears to be musically stronger with all these elements present, archaic tunes blended with light rock qualities and symphonic arrangements, apparently having more space for instrumental lines and a generally lifted level of energy with more pronounced electric parts.

Solid Prog Folk.The odd Kraut Folk sound of the earlier days has given its place to a more human mixture of mellow Prog and Folk, the result is mostly pretty fine and the room for some instrumental exercises has expanded.Recommended.

Another offering by Ougenweide, which mixes rearrangements of traditional songs and original compositions, but this time with deeper instrumental growth and some tricky moves in the process.The style remains largely acoustic with a touch of rockin' context in the bass and some scarce guitar parts, but now the band seems compositionally more mature, tight and focused, having evident Medieval influences adapted in a Folk Rock content, characterized by extended instrumental exercises and diverse mood colors.The atmosphere ranges from pleasant and joyful to more professional and mellow with acoustic strings, flutes, piano and bass in evidence.Of course the depth of this work comes also from the additional violin, cello, keyboards and drums, which appear every now and then.For the first time the progressive leanings of Ougenweide become apparent through the quirky acoustic instrumentals, the changes between uptempo and more Medieval-styled themes and the light interplays between the instrumentalists.Vocals are now pretty balanced compared to the previous release, not capturing the bulk of the album, and even the addition of Minne Graw seems to have occured mainly due to her instrumental talent.

This is some very nice Medieval/Folk Rock with strong proggy underlines.An excellent album for fans of Acoustic Prog and a good purchase for all lovers of demanding acoustic instrumentals.Recommended.

Most of the songs show elegant folk with some symphonic folk prog instrumental pieces. The songwriting is intellectual and with this big line-up of six musicians you'll get a sound with many percussion, xylophoneplay, flutes, keys and medieval stringinstruments, which interact in a nice way. The lyrics are in german to accentuate the medieval german influences. The songs are not based on old songs, but they do realy sound like they are! Like in the British folk there are woman and men vocalists.

If you're looking for a band having the elegance of Steeleye Span's "Below the Salt" and some of the complexity of Jethro Tull then you will be realy delighted with this Ohrenschmaus. A very nice folkrock record with some symphoprog connections. Rating: 4,5 star.